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A Million Years in a Day
- A Curious History of Everyday Life
- Narrated by: Greg Jenner
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: History, World
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Editor reviews
Summary
'A wonderful idea, gloriously put into practice. Greg Jenner as is witty as he is knowledgeable.' (Tom Holland)
'Delightful, surprising and hilarious, this is a fascinating history of the everyday objects and inventions we take for granted.' (Lauren Laverne)
Every day, from the moment our alarm clock wakes us in the morning until our head hits our pillow at night, we all take part in rituals that are millennia old. In this gloriously entertaining romp through human history, Greg Jenner explores the hidden stories behind these daily routines.
This is not a story of politics, wars or great events, instead Greg Jenner has scoured Roman rubbish bins, Egyptian tombs and Victorian sewers to bring us the most intriguing, surprising and sometimes downright silly nuggets from our past.
Written and narrated in a chatty style by Greg Jenner, Historical Consultant to CBBC's multi-award-winning Horrible Histories, it is an entertaining history of all those things you always wondered - and many you have never considered. It is the story of our lives, one million years in the making.
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What listeners say about A Million Years in a Day
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Mrs Sarah Morley
- 02-12-15
So many fascinating facts!
If you could sum up A Million Years in a Day in three words, what would they be?
Lively, engaging and informative
What did you like best about this story?
All of it! I thought the format of using a modern day as a way of looking at the history of everyday things & routines was great
Have you listened to any of Greg Jenner’s other performances? How does this one compare?
I haven't heard any other performances by Greg Jenner but I really enjoyed this one. Author's reading their own books can be hit or miss, but I thought this was great and Greg's chatty style worked really well with the contents of the book
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Well as a non-fiction book I wasn't waiting to hear what happened in the way that you might with a novel but I thoroughly enjoyed it and it definitely helped pass the time ion a long drive
Any additional comments?
Anyone who like popular science & history would enjoy this book
13 people found this helpful
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- Knook
- 01-06-16
Humour and history, what's not to like?
Thanks to QI and Horrible Histories my interest in history has been rekindled.
Greg being a historical consultant for Horrible Histories this was the perfect opportunity for me to download, listen and consume history in a funny and accessible way.
Greg takes us on a tour of how in one day of our lives, different societies have contributed to how modern life has been shaped.
Congratulations to Greg who makes this an enjoyable experience.
It was all fascinating, funny and sometimes bizarre.
7 people found this helpful
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- Music lover
- 05-11-15
The most enjoyable history lesson you've ever had
Really enjoyed this book - entertaining, fascinating and often surprising. Made all the better for being read by the author. :)
Highly recommended!
14 people found this helpful
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- Jamie M.
- 15-01-17
Interesting History, Annoying Delivery
The content of this book should speak wonderfully for itself... but it doesn't get a chance, because Greg Jenner wants you to think he's funny; at least, that is how this audiobook comes across.
Jenner constantly uses colloquialisms and vulgarity to try and achieve humour (thus reach?). Unfortunately, this results in a very forced and condescending delivery, which was irritating, and immensely distracting from the often interesting factual content.
A hard, hard book to get through.
4 people found this helpful
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- kk
- 01-06-16
buy and listen now!
Funny and informative: a plethora of useless yet fascinating information narrated in a unique and engaging manner.
4 people found this helpful
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- Philip
- 26-05-16
Have fun learning how we got here
This is a terrifically entertaining audiobook, perfect for those who look around and like to ask the question How did we get here? Like a scientist or engineer taking apart a toaster to find out how it works, Mr Greg dissects the history of everyday items and customs in a playful but informative way. The book is neatly divided into sections which makes it perfect for audio where listeners tend to dip in and out. Learn about the history of human life through the course of one Saturday events. A great alternative take on the history of modern (and not so modern) life
4 people found this helpful
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- Sam
- 14-05-16
An entertaining talk through history
An absolute gem of an audiobook, highly recommend it if you are a history fan!
3 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-04-16
Very interesting stuff
very interesting subjects grouped by the time our activities take place. Smart approach. Keep us longing for more.
Also the narrator was really good, cracking jokes, I just loved his style.
3 people found this helpful
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- Michael
- 01-03-16
Great fun! I feel wiser and had a good time!
Great fun! I feel wiser and had a good time!
Wonderfully narrated and brilliant way of moving between the topics. Some genuine laugh out loud moments, and I will never take the toilet for granted again!!
3 people found this helpful
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- J
- 03-03-16
Fascinating.
Will make you think more of those day to day things.
A glimpse of the history behind such things as beds, dentists, clothes, and even cutlery
The author reading the book really helps add to the enjoyment
5 people found this helpful